maths.free › Combinatorics & Graph Theory › The counting principles

The counting principles

Product rule, sum rule, permutations, combinations, and when each applies.

Independent choices multiply; exclusive alternatives add. Ordered selections are permutations, unordered are combinations. Picture it: a tree diagram, each level a choice, each leaf an outcome. Think it: every counting formula is a bijection with something easy to count.

Umzekelo osebenzelayo · 5 choose 2

Discrete-Math · Counting

5 choose 2

5,\ 2

Inyathelo ngenyathelo

  1. \binom{5}{2} = \frac{5!}{2!\,(5-2)!}

    Unordered selections: n! / (k! (n−k)!).

  2. = \frac{120}{2 \times 6} = 10

Bonisa impendulo
\binom{5}{2} = 10

ngoku Khetha ingxaki, okanye ubhale okanye uzobe yakho. Inyathelo ngalinye, umfanekiso, impendulo ifihlakele de ubuze.

Ukugcina umsebenzi wakho

I akhawunti ekhululekileyo idibanisa amaphetshana kwi ncwadi nganye, irekhodi lento ogqibe ngayo, iingxaki zakho ezisoliweyo kwindawo enye, nomfundi onokuthi ubuze malunga nale phepha. IiMathematiki ngokwazo zivuliwe kubo bonke, bangeniswe okanye hayi.

Bhalisa Igama elithile

Iimpawu ezisetyenziswa apha

Nqakraza nasiphi na isibonakaliso sokuqonda okupheleleyo, umfanekiso, nokuba iileta zonke zithetha ntoni.

Indlela yokusebenza: The counting principles

  1. Decide whether order matters (permutation) or not (combination).
  2. Decide whether repetition is allowed.
  3. Break the count into independent stages (multiply) or exclusive cases (add).
  4. Sanity-check with a tiny case you can list by hand.

Imibuzo abantu bebuza

Permutation or combination?

Ask whether order matters. A lock code is a permutation (order matters); a hand of cards is a combination (it does not).

What is a graph in this sense?

Dots (vertices) joined by lines (edges), not a plot. Road maps, social networks and molecules are graphs; questions like "is there a route" and "how few colours" are graph theory.

IiNkqubo Combinatorics & Graph Theory

Pigeonhole principle and inclusion, exclusionBinomial coefficients and Pascal's triangleRecurrences and generating functionsGraphs: vertices, edges, degreesPaths, cycles, trees, Euler and HamiltonColouring and planar graphs